The SXSW Staff has worked very hard to bring the 2013 event to fruition. We represent all walks of life from within the community that comes together in Austin each spring. Staff have the extremely difficult task of combing through and curating community entries from the SXSW PanelPicker as well as seeking out additional programming that reflects the state of creativity and tech today. We asked three staff members: Christine Auten, SXSW Interactive & SXSW V2V festival producer; Tammy Lynn Gilmore, Interactive festival web content editor [Me! -Ed.] and Kelly Krause, SXSW Interactive publicist, the following question...

"What are you most excited about for SXSW Interactive 2013?"

Keynotes

Christine Auten: I can't wait to see what Tina Roth Eisenberg can bring to SXSW, and hear her ideas on turning side projects to profitable businesses.

Featured Sessions

Tammy Lynn: The Hacker's Guide to the Galaxy with Ariel Waldman. I've always admired Waldman's inclusive approach to science and her ability to get people excited instead of intimidated about science and space. Really pumped to see her show us how anyone can hack for fun and to help advance science.

Kelly Krause: Beyond Work/Life: Changing the Debate & Making Change with Anne-Marie Slaughter & Jessica Coen (Jezebel). Anne-Marie's piece in the Atlantic garned a lot of buzz this summer – I'm looking forward to her follow-up and potential debate with the audience.

Panels

Tammy Lynn: The New Serendipity? is my choice for this, and it's also a Featured Session. I've never gotten to see Joi Ito speak in all the years he's been here, so I must remedy that. I also recently met Colin Raney at a conference and I can't wait to hear his great ideas again here in Austin. (Hi, Colin!)

Meet Ups

Christine: I am very excited about the SXSW V2V Meet Up on Saturday, March 9 at the Meet Up Tent. V2V is a brand new SXSW event in Las Vegas that will bring together creative thinkers, entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, designers, tinkerers, believers and doers from all over the world to learn from, and be inspired by, each other. Here's hoping this meetup will offer a hint of that collaboration.

Venues

Christine: There are two venues I wish I could just camp out in – The Omni and the Four Seasons. The Art and Inspiration and the Science and Space Exploration categories are new additions to the event that really speak to the creative spirit that drive innovation. The Four Seasons is also a new addition to the Interactive Festival lineup. The Entrepreneurialism and Business sessions there promises to be very strong.

Trade Show

Christine: #VegasTech will have a very large presence in the Trade Show this year. This is very inspirational to me because it shows how far the commitment to a common purpose can bring a community together to do something truly amazing.

Lounges, Evening Events

Christine: I might be a bit biased, but I am really looking forward to the SXSW V2V Launch Party, Tuesday, March 12, 3-6:00pm.

By Date: Saturday, March 9 sessions

By Date: Sunday, March 10 sessions

Tammy Lynn: A Conversation with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. This woman is IT, as far as I'm concerned. Clever, funny, charming and takes no B.S. I wanna be her when I grow up, but in the meantime, I'll just bask in her intelligence!

What is your favorite / best story of a serendipitous encounter at a previous SXSW?

Christine: In 2012, there was a moment at the back loading doc of the ACC when I was escorting Al Gore to the back elevator to go up to the dressing rooms on Level 4, an amazing enough occurrence in its own right. At the very same moment Shawn O'Keefe, the other Interactive Producer, was set to escort Ray Kurzweil up the same back elevator. For a split second we didn't know what to do. Who do we make wait for the elevator, the former Vice President of the United States, or the “rightful heir to Thomas Edison”? Luckily our charges quickly solved the problem for us with warm, mutual self-introductions. Long story short, Shawn and I were treated to a memorable elevator ride up to Level 4 with two of the most influential leaders of our century.

Tammy Lynn: So many stories over all the years I've worked here, but to narrow it to Interactive-only and to segue from Christine's story...when Al Gore (and entourage) finally arrived at his dressing room door, he seemed confused about where to go (all the doors look alike in the back halls). So I very loudly stated, "Here's your dressing room, Mr. Vice President!" and opened the door and waved him in. It felt weird even talking to him, but it seemed to alleviate any awkwardness, so yay?

Kelly: I hosted a Fashion & Tech Meet Up in 2011 and met a bevy of creative folks who not only do I get to call good friends, but who were also able to forge new relationships and collaborate on new projects. Win / win in my book.

Thanks to Christine, Tammy Lynn and Kelly for contributing to this post. Stay tuned to the blog, follow us, friend us, or add us for more staff recommendations in the coming days...